Clumsy (song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Clumsy" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by Our Lady Peace | ||
| from the album Clumsy |
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| Released | 1998 | |
| Format | CD Single | |
| Recorded | 1996-1997 | |
| Genre | Alternative Rock | |
| Length | 4:29 | |
| Label | Columbia Records | |
| Writer(s) | Raine Maida, Mike Turner | |
| Producer(s) | Arnold Lanni | |
| Our Lady Peace singles chronology | ||
| "4 A.M." (1997) |
"Clumsy" (1998) |
"One Man Army" (1999) |
Clumsy is the last single to be released off of alternative rock band Our Lady Peace's second album, Clumsy. It is undoubedtly one of their most famous songs - along with other songs like Starseed, Superman's Dead and One Man Army. The song has been considered one of their best songs off of Clumsy. This is one of the only tracks on the album not to feature vocalist Raine Maida's incredible falsetto-controlled singing voice. This compares well with many songs off of their fifth album Gravity in 2002. This song is also the lightest on the album.
The song begins off of a slow piano starting the introduction. At around the 0:14 mark, the song starts off fast. The chorus is then played, and after another verse and another repeat of the chorus, guitarist Mike Turner creates a soothing hum, and the song ends up in a final repeat of the chorus. Although the band has left most of their work interpreation up to the fans, guitarist Mike Turner and vocalist Raine Maida have said this about the song:
"You can be destructive with out being malicious if you're clumsy. With the problems that I encounter, they're obviously not unique. Everyone goes through he same things I go through, so I think 'clumsy' was just a word that would give those problems the benefit of the doubt and then enable you to get through them rather than seeing them just from one perspective [like], 'O.K., it's bad. It's not going to change from being bad.' Because things DO change. People change" ... "It's really honest.The lyrics really match the song in that there are a lot of different colours and stuff, just as [with] personalities."
- Mike Turner and Raine Maida (1997)
This song and Somewhere Out There, Naveed, Starseed, and Superman's Dead have all become staples in Our Lady Peace's live setlist. A live version of the song is feautured on their first live compliation 'Live' released in 2003. Because Raine Maida's singing style has slightly changed over the years, no longer reaching the higher notes before 'Spiritual Machines' as easily, many songs are sung using a lower, heavier tone. However, this song was in a low tone in its own right, and sounds comparable to the studio version.
[edit] Music video
The music video focuses on the lyrical content very well. Especially on the lines "I'll be waving my hand/Watching you drown.", when the cup of water spills onto the camera's point of view. Like a lot of songs off of Clumsy, it has a psychotic, lonely, and even insane sense to the song and music video. The entire music video was shot in a sepia-tone. Unlike other singles like Superman's Dead, this single had only one music video internationally.
